Specular International invites you to experiment with this demo copy of LogoMotion 1.5. This program will allow you to instantly create stunning 3D animations of text and logos for use in business presentations, desktop video, multimedia projects, or just for fun. Using LogoMotion, you’ll also be able to transform any EPS file (from programs like Adobe Illustrator) or any TrueType and Type 1 Postscript font into a 3D flying logo made of chrome, gold, or having one of a variety of other surfaces. With LogoMotion’s StageHands™ technology, you can choose from a collection of pre-defined camera moves, lighting positions, animated props and backdrop images. These StageHands can be added together to quickly create an animation. LogoMotion also has a built-in modeler to create custom flying shapes, text, and logos which can even morph from one object into an other. Output can be saved in QuickTime, PICT, PICS, or TIFF formats. Plus, this demo is native for the Power Macintosh. Test it out and see it fly!
**** SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ****
Specular LogoMotion requires a color Macintosh; at least 5 MB of available RAM; 2.5 MB of free hard disk space; a Floating Point Unit (FPU math coprocessor) or a Power Macintosh; System 7.0 or later; QuickTime 1.6.1 or later; Adobe Type Manager 2.0 or later is required to use Type 1 Postscript fonts.
**** INSTALLATION ****
To install this demo version of Specular LogoMotion, simply double click on the LogoMotion Demo Installer and select where on your hard drive you want the file to be placed. Once you determine the spot, hit the "Extract" button. Once completed, place the Specular folder in the Preferences folder located within the System Folder.
**** ABOUT THIS DEMO VERSION ****
This demo of LogoMotion is accelerated for the Power Macintosh and is a fat-binary application, meaning that it can run on both 68k-based and Power Macintosh computers. The actual shipping version has a smart installer that determines what type of machine you have and then installs the appropriate version. The two are functionally identical: the only obvious difference is that of speed. Files saved in either version of LogoMotion are compatible with the other.
Several features have been turned off for this demo version. These disabled features include: Save, Print, and Export to Infini-D. Also, you are limited to only rendering out 30 frames of an animation per session and the camera window is restricted to a size below 320x240. The number of default surfaces and StageHands have been reduced as well. The shipping version of LogoMotion1.5 contains over 100 total StageHands!
**** Simple Tutorial ****
LogoMotion is an extremely easy-to-use program. When the program starts up, you will see three windows: 1) The Camera Window, which is your view into the 3D world; 2) The Sequencer, which allows you to plot animations over time using an event-based system; 3) The Tool Palette, which will allow you to create and manipulate objects.
First, select the Text Tool on the Tool Palette (third box from the bottom, icon looks like a “T”) and click in the Camera Window. This action will bring up a Text Dialog box. Type in anything (perhaps your name) and then click “OK”. Your 2D text will now become a three-dimensional shape in the camera window. To see a shaded version of your text, change the shading mode in the Camera Window from “Wireframe” to “Shade Fast.” Just like that, your text will appear in chrome!
Feel free to experiment with the manipulation tools on the Tool Palette, the top seven icons. They are, from top to bottom: the V-Plane movement tool (which moves an object up, down, left and right in the View), the H-Plane tool (which moves an object towards and away from the viewer in a View), Rotate Towards/Away, Rotate Left/Right, Rotate Around, Uniform Scale, and the Squash & Stretch tool.
Now, select Props from the StageHands menu. Here you will find a few animated props (normally there would be around 30!). Choose “Whizzing Comets” and click on the “Open” button. Whizzing Comets will be added as an object in your scene and will appear on the Sequencer. Hit the “Preview” button on the Sequencer to see a real-time bounding box preview of your animation.
Next, select Camera from the StageHands menu. Choose “Pan Right with Prestige.” Again, this element will be added to your scene. Hit Preview to see the effect of this new camera.
The final StageHand you’ll add will be a Backdrop, also found under the StageHands menu. Select “CloudScape.” This PICT file will go in the background of your animation (you can create your own Backdrops in programs like Adobe PhotoShop™).
Finally, click the “Make Movie” button on the Sequencer (the icon looks like a piece of film and a diskette). This will bring up the Make Movie Dialog Box, where you can choose from a variety of rendering options. Change the Frames/Second Rate to 10 and then click on the “Render” button. Type in the name of your movie, select Save as QuickTime, and hit the “Save” button. Once your movie has rendered, exit LogoMotion and view your creation in Adobe Premiere™ or any QuickTime movie player.
**** Ordering Information ****
So what happens after you’ve played around with this demo for a while and decide you want to get your hands on a fully-functional version of this program? All you have to do is call Specular International at (800) 433-SPEC. Normally, this program retails for $149, but if you mention that you’ve been playing with this demo CD, Specular will give you a copy of LogoMotion for ONLY $99!
Also, make sure to ask about Specular’s other great products, including Infini-D™ (Specular’s broadcast-quality animation package), Specular Collage™ (an excellent Adobe PhotoShop™ companion tool for high-res image composition), and Specular TextureScape™ (an easy-to-use texture generator)!
